Ps 33:8-9 "Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." NIV
The glory of the prophetic word and the power of the word of God’s command, these things are tools for awakening divine awe! “Let all of earth fear; let all the people of the world revere him!” This is the fruit of God’s wisdom and way. In John 16:13-14 Jesus said “he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” Jesus trained his disciples in the understanding that it is God’s pleasure to bring glory to himself through the work of the Holy Spirit revealing those things that are to come in the individual, the church and the nation. As God announces the prophetic word to and through his servants it is intended to bring forth a spirit of holy fear and reverent wonder!
The context of this passage is specifically applied to the work of creation but its principle extends significantly farther. Throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts the power of prophetic proclamation is demonstrated with great authority as Jesus speaks time again to that which is yet to come with startling clarity. Again and again his declarations create a stunned silence in the hearts of his listeners as he tells them of personal, national and even global destiny. Jesus proclaimed his prophetic intention to make Peter and John into fishers of men, captured the heart of Nathaniel by speaking of that which he had seen in his life and foretelling that Nathaniel would witness habitual angelic ministry in the life of the Messiah. He prepared his disciples for the fact or Lazarus’ resurrection, the coming destiny of the temple, his own death and resurrection and the future outpouring of the Holy Spirit of the believers. In each case his listeners marveled at the words that were spoken and glory was given to God at the ultimate fulfillment of the prophetic words.
In contrast to the predictive dimension of the word of the Lord is the commanded declaration of God. From the beginnings of creation God has demonstrated the power and wonder of his spoken Word. He commanded and the worlds were created. In the same way his prophets spoke to nations and to created things releasing the work of God to bind and loose according to God’s design. Jesus himself demonstrated this in an even more manifest way throughout his entire span of earthly ministry as he spoke to bodies and commanded them to heal or live, spoke to bread and fish and it was multiplied, and to the fig tree and it was dried up. One of the greatest examples of the impact of the command of God in the Gospels was when Jesus spoke to the waves in the storm and they were stilled. Mk. 4:39-41 reports their reaction by saying simply, “They were terrified and asked themselves, ‘Who is this?’” The command of God is powerful and brings forth a reverent heart when it is spoken with authority and faith. Let the church arise and speak forth with the authority and faith of Jesus Christ and let the earth tremble at that Word!
Saturday
Friday
Psalm 33:4-6 - April 3, 2009
Ps 33:4-6 "For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth." NIV
Even as the first portion of psalm 33 began with a call to praise, so this portion of the psalm inspires our motivation to praise the Lord. In this passage four themes call each one of us to this life of praise. God’s Word, His character, His love and His creation and works are the four pillars of a life of praise! The psalmist first points us to the quality of God’s word saying; “it is right and true.” God is worthy of praise for providing us with a sure foundation of truth upon which to build our lives. Psalm 119 reflects powerfully on the virtues of the Word of the Lord in verse 140 stating “Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it,” NASU, and in verse 160 “The sum of Your word is truth,” NASU. Finally the psalm proclaims with joy in verse 172 “Let my tongue sing of Your word,” NASU.
God’s character is equally cause to praise him. The Lord is faithful in all he does, not just some of what he does. We can know that those things that the Lord has promised us he will fulfill with absolute faithfulness. There is no area of deficiency in dealing with the Lord. He is worthy of praise because of all beings he is absolutely trustworthy, completely motivated from a heart of love. He cannot be bribed nor manipulated and he will never violate his character or nature of love in a moment of weakness fueled by impatience or anger. He has perfect self-control and this is reflected in every one of his dealings with man. In addition to these things the Lord is worthy of praise simply because of the wonder of all that He has made.
God is truly an artist and His works display his creativity and passion like nothing else could ever do. In the world of design one of the constant arenas of debate is the contrast between form and function. What is the priority in the creation and design of any object? The quality that makes God truly unique and awe inspiring is that he has mastered both dimensions of this tension. Not only is the eye a marvel of engineering and biology, God chose to create a diversity of colors to the eye and then on an even deeper level He caused the eye to become the reflecting pool of the inner man. A tool for seeing, a work of art and a glimpse into a human life all contained in one tiny fragment of all that God has created. For all of these things God is deserving of praise. Each of the pillars of praise would be sufficient to move us to honor God all by itself.
However, when each of these aspects of God’s glory is considered together as a whole it becomes a compelling voice calling us to surrender our hearts to a life of worship.
Even as the first portion of psalm 33 began with a call to praise, so this portion of the psalm inspires our motivation to praise the Lord. In this passage four themes call each one of us to this life of praise. God’s Word, His character, His love and His creation and works are the four pillars of a life of praise! The psalmist first points us to the quality of God’s word saying; “it is right and true.” God is worthy of praise for providing us with a sure foundation of truth upon which to build our lives. Psalm 119 reflects powerfully on the virtues of the Word of the Lord in verse 140 stating “Your word is very pure, Therefore Your servant loves it,” NASU, and in verse 160 “The sum of Your word is truth,” NASU. Finally the psalm proclaims with joy in verse 172 “Let my tongue sing of Your word,” NASU.
God’s character is equally cause to praise him. The Lord is faithful in all he does, not just some of what he does. We can know that those things that the Lord has promised us he will fulfill with absolute faithfulness. There is no area of deficiency in dealing with the Lord. He is worthy of praise because of all beings he is absolutely trustworthy, completely motivated from a heart of love. He cannot be bribed nor manipulated and he will never violate his character or nature of love in a moment of weakness fueled by impatience or anger. He has perfect self-control and this is reflected in every one of his dealings with man. In addition to these things the Lord is worthy of praise simply because of the wonder of all that He has made.
God is truly an artist and His works display his creativity and passion like nothing else could ever do. In the world of design one of the constant arenas of debate is the contrast between form and function. What is the priority in the creation and design of any object? The quality that makes God truly unique and awe inspiring is that he has mastered both dimensions of this tension. Not only is the eye a marvel of engineering and biology, God chose to create a diversity of colors to the eye and then on an even deeper level He caused the eye to become the reflecting pool of the inner man. A tool for seeing, a work of art and a glimpse into a human life all contained in one tiny fragment of all that God has created. For all of these things God is deserving of praise. Each of the pillars of praise would be sufficient to move us to honor God all by itself.
However, when each of these aspects of God’s glory is considered together as a whole it becomes a compelling voice calling us to surrender our hearts to a life of worship.
Thursday
Psalm 33:1-3 - April 2, 2009
Ps 33:1-3 "Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." NIV
James 5:13 simply conveys the life style of worship that Psalm 33 is calling us to; “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” Our gracious heavenly father knows how he has formed our emotional makeup and he directs our steps in ways that cooperate with leaving us fulfilled, joyful and emotionally healthy. We are called to express our hearts through joyful song as a part of our friendship with God. When you are happy sing about it! When you want to get happy sing your way to it! One of the simplest principles conveyed in scripture is that we are able to take charge of our own emotional state. You don’t have to stay under a cloud.
This is evidently part of what David was referencing in the preceding psalm. Songs of deliverance were something that David was well acquainted with. Even from his youth David experienced the power of his music to drive the demonic oppression away from his master King Saul. Is. 61:3 describes a part of the mission of God’s anointed messenger by saying that he gives “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Joyful praise is the offering that God is worthy of and it is the very weapon of the Spirit for the release of the soul from oppression and discouragement. There is great power in the ministry of praise and worship to deliver the soul, refresh the weary, release spiritual power into the atmosphere and accomplish the purpose of God in the earth.
In this passage the psalmist calls us to sing a new song unto the Lord. This is one of the refreshing dynamics of true worship. We are encouraged by the Lord to sing not only the premeditated songs of gifted writers but the new song that springs from our hearts as a living work of praise. One of the wonderful truths conveyed in this passage is the blending between the fresh and living new song that can come from any heart and the calling to excellence that is sent forth to those with a specific ministry of music. On one hand the psalm calls us all to sing a new song unto the Lord and on the other a high standard is lifted up saying “play skillfully” on the instruments of praise. The last phrase of this passage is particularly telling of the all inclusive nature of God’s intention here. “Play skillfully and shout for joy!” Not all can play skillfully, but anyone can shout for joy!!!
Our walk with God is intended to be a walk of joyful freedom as we celebrate the victories that God has won through Christ. Ps 118:15 portrays this reality by saying, “The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous,” NASU. When is the last time that you experienced the emotional freedom that comes through lifting up a shout of joyful thanksgiving to the Lord? Even more so, when is the last time that you did it in your home not just in some corporate religious gathering? Ps. 118:15 tells us that this is the sound that rises from the homes of God’s righteous ones.
The simple message of this psalm is to remember to live joyfully before the Lord and to develop all of your gifts, whether in worship or some other area, with a spirit of excellence that brings glory and honor to the Lord.
James 5:13 simply conveys the life style of worship that Psalm 33 is calling us to; “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” Our gracious heavenly father knows how he has formed our emotional makeup and he directs our steps in ways that cooperate with leaving us fulfilled, joyful and emotionally healthy. We are called to express our hearts through joyful song as a part of our friendship with God. When you are happy sing about it! When you want to get happy sing your way to it! One of the simplest principles conveyed in scripture is that we are able to take charge of our own emotional state. You don’t have to stay under a cloud.
This is evidently part of what David was referencing in the preceding psalm. Songs of deliverance were something that David was well acquainted with. Even from his youth David experienced the power of his music to drive the demonic oppression away from his master King Saul. Is. 61:3 describes a part of the mission of God’s anointed messenger by saying that he gives “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Joyful praise is the offering that God is worthy of and it is the very weapon of the Spirit for the release of the soul from oppression and discouragement. There is great power in the ministry of praise and worship to deliver the soul, refresh the weary, release spiritual power into the atmosphere and accomplish the purpose of God in the earth.
In this passage the psalmist calls us to sing a new song unto the Lord. This is one of the refreshing dynamics of true worship. We are encouraged by the Lord to sing not only the premeditated songs of gifted writers but the new song that springs from our hearts as a living work of praise. One of the wonderful truths conveyed in this passage is the blending between the fresh and living new song that can come from any heart and the calling to excellence that is sent forth to those with a specific ministry of music. On one hand the psalm calls us all to sing a new song unto the Lord and on the other a high standard is lifted up saying “play skillfully” on the instruments of praise. The last phrase of this passage is particularly telling of the all inclusive nature of God’s intention here. “Play skillfully and shout for joy!” Not all can play skillfully, but anyone can shout for joy!!!
Our walk with God is intended to be a walk of joyful freedom as we celebrate the victories that God has won through Christ. Ps 118:15 portrays this reality by saying, “The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous,” NASU. When is the last time that you experienced the emotional freedom that comes through lifting up a shout of joyful thanksgiving to the Lord? Even more so, when is the last time that you did it in your home not just in some corporate religious gathering? Ps. 118:15 tells us that this is the sound that rises from the homes of God’s righteous ones.
The simple message of this psalm is to remember to live joyfully before the Lord and to develop all of your gifts, whether in worship or some other area, with a spirit of excellence that brings glory and honor to the Lord.
Wednesday
Psalm 32:7-9 - April 1, 2009
Ps 32:7-9 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." NIV
This passage is a dialogue between David and the Lord. David is declaring his confidence in the Lord and the Lord is responding as a Father to a son speaking counsels of wisdom and warning. David is secure in the knowledge of who the Lord is to him. This is something that every believer must reach for. Do we know who God is to us!? In this moment of need David knows the Lord as his hiding place, and his protection from trouble.
David shares with us a candid glimpse into a deeper part of his walk with God through this passage that is worth noting. The hiding place that David has in the Lord and the protection that David finds in him is flowing out of his heart of worship. You “surround me with songs of deliverance,” is the testimony of his praise. This passage doesn’t fully express the principle it contains until we join it with other statements made in the psalms by other authors. Ps 42:8 states, “at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” This psalmist experienced a consistent pattern of the Lord placing a song in his spirit that rose back up to the Lord as prayer. When considered together these two passages paint a picture of the Lord ministering to his saints through songs that come from the heavenly realms into the heart of the psalmist to accomplish a supernatural purpose. For David it is a song of deliverance, for the psalmist of Psalm 42 it is a prayer back unto the Lord. Each of these is an expression of heavenly impartation producing an earthly response in and through the heart of the servant of God.
After inserting a brief prophetic glimpse into songs of deliverance David shifts gears into a prophetic declaration back to himself and the reader. This psalm is so diverse as it begins with a cry of repentance, moves into a reflection on the hiding place that is in the Lord, teases us with a glimpse into the mystical nature of a song of deliverance and then from this place of worship and warfare the psalm shifts suddenly into a prophetic declaration. This entire psalm seems to be such a powerful example of the free-flowing nature of the Holy Spirit, as it allows us to see what it is to write or sing by the Spirit instead of from an intellectual sense of form and order. Each one of us would be greatly helped to learn how to relax in the presence of the Lord and allow him to lead our thoughts with such liberty. It is this freedom that gives David the ability to respond to the dramatic shifts that the Holy Spirit chooses to introduce. If he was writing from his head instead of from his heart then this psalm would most likely have become paralyzed in form and never reached the place of releasing such a dramatic word from the Lord as follows in the next verses.
The Holy Spirit begins to speak into David’s heart regarding God’s desire to lead and guide. What is powerfully communicated in these next verses is that it is the Lord’s desire to lead and instruct us. We do not have to beg Him to show us His will or lead us in His way. The Lord cautions David and his listeners, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled…” The implication of this statement is that God would rather lead us with His words than compel us through circumstances as a result of our dullness of hearing or stubbornness of heart. God offers to instruct us, teach us in the way we should go, counsel us and watch over us. Lord please open our ears and teach us how to listen.
This passage is a dialogue between David and the Lord. David is declaring his confidence in the Lord and the Lord is responding as a Father to a son speaking counsels of wisdom and warning. David is secure in the knowledge of who the Lord is to him. This is something that every believer must reach for. Do we know who God is to us!? In this moment of need David knows the Lord as his hiding place, and his protection from trouble.
David shares with us a candid glimpse into a deeper part of his walk with God through this passage that is worth noting. The hiding place that David has in the Lord and the protection that David finds in him is flowing out of his heart of worship. You “surround me with songs of deliverance,” is the testimony of his praise. This passage doesn’t fully express the principle it contains until we join it with other statements made in the psalms by other authors. Ps 42:8 states, “at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” This psalmist experienced a consistent pattern of the Lord placing a song in his spirit that rose back up to the Lord as prayer. When considered together these two passages paint a picture of the Lord ministering to his saints through songs that come from the heavenly realms into the heart of the psalmist to accomplish a supernatural purpose. For David it is a song of deliverance, for the psalmist of Psalm 42 it is a prayer back unto the Lord. Each of these is an expression of heavenly impartation producing an earthly response in and through the heart of the servant of God.
After inserting a brief prophetic glimpse into songs of deliverance David shifts gears into a prophetic declaration back to himself and the reader. This psalm is so diverse as it begins with a cry of repentance, moves into a reflection on the hiding place that is in the Lord, teases us with a glimpse into the mystical nature of a song of deliverance and then from this place of worship and warfare the psalm shifts suddenly into a prophetic declaration. This entire psalm seems to be such a powerful example of the free-flowing nature of the Holy Spirit, as it allows us to see what it is to write or sing by the Spirit instead of from an intellectual sense of form and order. Each one of us would be greatly helped to learn how to relax in the presence of the Lord and allow him to lead our thoughts with such liberty. It is this freedom that gives David the ability to respond to the dramatic shifts that the Holy Spirit chooses to introduce. If he was writing from his head instead of from his heart then this psalm would most likely have become paralyzed in form and never reached the place of releasing such a dramatic word from the Lord as follows in the next verses.
The Holy Spirit begins to speak into David’s heart regarding God’s desire to lead and guide. What is powerfully communicated in these next verses is that it is the Lord’s desire to lead and instruct us. We do not have to beg Him to show us His will or lead us in His way. The Lord cautions David and his listeners, “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled…” The implication of this statement is that God would rather lead us with His words than compel us through circumstances as a result of our dullness of hearing or stubbornness of heart. God offers to instruct us, teach us in the way we should go, counsel us and watch over us. Lord please open our ears and teach us how to listen.
Tuesday
Psalm 32:3-5 - March 31, 2009
Ps 32:3-5 "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" — and you forgave the guilt of my sin." NIV
These verses are a tremendous description of the process of conviction and repentance. David presents a powerful account of his own agony of soul as he walks under the weight of his own guilt and pain that spring from his sinful actions concerning Uriah and Bathsheba. According to the biblical record David has effectively hidden from the consequences of his sin for approximately a year. He has calculated the murder of a faithful soldier, conceived a child through an adulterous affair, implicated many of his servants in covering up the fact of his transgression and now the child is born so David has evidently walked in the knowledge of such tremendous guilt for a year or more. It is obvious from this psalm that David was not a cold hearted serial adulterer and murderer. David was caught up in a moment of lust and then he engaged in a deceptive and sinful scheme to cover his actions through the murder of Uriah but his actions are those of a desperate man who is now trapped and fearful of the consequences not those of a hard hearted man who commits an evil deed with no remorse following.
Listen again to his introductory words, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” These are not the words of someone who doesn’t grieve about their actions. David is being tormented by the knowledge of what he has done and it is this condition that is the gift of God to him. The very fact that our hearts still feel the sting of our conscience is a sign that God is still reaching for us to restore us to himself. In Psalm 32 David is remembering the intensity of his suffering under the burden of a guilty conscience. Conviction is an inward pressure upon the soul that either breaks us down until we acknowledge our guilt before God or until we finally harden our hearts in denial of responsibility before God and push away the voice our inner man. David’s description of conviction is awesome as he paints a picture of the unrelenting presence of God’s hand pressing down upon him. This is such an illustration of the principle of true conviction that John the beloved shares in 1 John 3:21, “if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” David cannot stand up under the weight of God’s hand speaking inside his thoughts, calling him to acknowledge his guilt and turn in repentance. He speaks of his strength being sapped like in the heat of summer. Who cannot relate to the oppressive power of labor under a hot sun? This is truly a picture of a guilty conscience; labor under the heat of the unrelenting fire of the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
Even in great guilt there is hope. David, the man after God’s own heart (I Sa. 13:14), was called this by an all knowing God who knew that David was capable of such wickedness. The presence of sin in a life is not what disqualifies us before God at the end of the story. Ro. 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and earlier in verse ten Paul states, “There is none righteous, no, not one:” What separates David from others is that when confronted by his sins David broke in conviction and repentance, truly turning from it and receiving in return a revelation of God’s mercy. “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.” The cover up is over! No more hiding, only confession, repentance and the knowledge of forgiveness!
These verses are a tremendous description of the process of conviction and repentance. David presents a powerful account of his own agony of soul as he walks under the weight of his own guilt and pain that spring from his sinful actions concerning Uriah and Bathsheba. According to the biblical record David has effectively hidden from the consequences of his sin for approximately a year. He has calculated the murder of a faithful soldier, conceived a child through an adulterous affair, implicated many of his servants in covering up the fact of his transgression and now the child is born so David has evidently walked in the knowledge of such tremendous guilt for a year or more. It is obvious from this psalm that David was not a cold hearted serial adulterer and murderer. David was caught up in a moment of lust and then he engaged in a deceptive and sinful scheme to cover his actions through the murder of Uriah but his actions are those of a desperate man who is now trapped and fearful of the consequences not those of a hard hearted man who commits an evil deed with no remorse following.
Listen again to his introductory words, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” These are not the words of someone who doesn’t grieve about their actions. David is being tormented by the knowledge of what he has done and it is this condition that is the gift of God to him. The very fact that our hearts still feel the sting of our conscience is a sign that God is still reaching for us to restore us to himself. In Psalm 32 David is remembering the intensity of his suffering under the burden of a guilty conscience. Conviction is an inward pressure upon the soul that either breaks us down until we acknowledge our guilt before God or until we finally harden our hearts in denial of responsibility before God and push away the voice our inner man. David’s description of conviction is awesome as he paints a picture of the unrelenting presence of God’s hand pressing down upon him. This is such an illustration of the principle of true conviction that John the beloved shares in 1 John 3:21, “if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” David cannot stand up under the weight of God’s hand speaking inside his thoughts, calling him to acknowledge his guilt and turn in repentance. He speaks of his strength being sapped like in the heat of summer. Who cannot relate to the oppressive power of labor under a hot sun? This is truly a picture of a guilty conscience; labor under the heat of the unrelenting fire of the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
Even in great guilt there is hope. David, the man after God’s own heart (I Sa. 13:14), was called this by an all knowing God who knew that David was capable of such wickedness. The presence of sin in a life is not what disqualifies us before God at the end of the story. Ro. 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and earlier in verse ten Paul states, “There is none righteous, no, not one:” What separates David from others is that when confronted by his sins David broke in conviction and repentance, truly turning from it and receiving in return a revelation of God’s mercy. “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.” The cover up is over! No more hiding, only confession, repentance and the knowledge of forgiveness!
Monday
Psalm 21:1-2 - March 30, 2009
Ps 32:1-2 "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." NIV
Forgiven, covered and pure in heart, these are the makings of a joyful life. I John makes it very clear that all men have sinned. Every person is living under the consequences of the sin nature at work in our inner most being. The good news of Psalm 32 is that there is relief from the impact of sin upon our emotions. Have you ever felt the internal pressure that comes from knowing that your conscience is not clean? Have you ever struggled with the double mindedness that comes when you are not being fully honest with yourself or others? David understands this reality. He has felt the peace of a pure heart and the pain of a heart that is standing on questionable ground and he is testifying to the joy of being forgiven. ”Blessed (happy) is the man whose transgression has been forgiven him.”
When we have confessed our sins to the Lord and experienced the comfort that comes from a clean conscience then something is released inside of us.
The nature of conviction is like a stream with a dam in it or a body with too much caffeine. The inner man was designed to function from a place of internal peace that enjoyed unhindered intimacy with God. When the conscience became violated through the sin nature entering the human race man is now subject to guilt. Immediately upon sinning Adam and Eve were driven from their confident relationship with God into a place of shame and hiding. They could no longer stand before God without feeling the internal pressure of their own actions like a fire shut up inside. God had not spoken a word to them and yet their own conviction drove them to make fig leave coverings and to hide from God’s presence. David has felt the sting of sin’s impact upon his heart and he is calling to those who will listen, pointing the way back to peace. “Let your sins be forgiven. Get right with God, face what you have done!” It is a call to return to the shelter of the love of God. Peter echoes the power of love in 1 Peter 4:8-9 when he writes “love covers over a multitude of sins.” There is a love from God so deep that He provided his own Son as a sacrifice so that the impact of our sins could be lifted off of our hearts. We were never created to carry that weight and when sin is present, pressing against the human heart it bends us like a tired laborer carrying more bricks than his back can bear.
When our hearts are not burdened with the power of conviction our steps are lightened and our emotions renewed. David understands this like so few people. Not only has David understood the internal weight of a wounded conscience, he knows the power of self-deception. David has lived under the impact of his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. For many months he knew the pressure of trying to cover up the evidence of his sin. He lived for many months under the Lord’s conviction, all the while scheming to cover his sins. He created a series of deceptions to try to outrun the consequences of his adultery and murder and yet God still exposed him in due time. For a season David lived with a spirit that was not facing his actions, denial, deception and abuse of power were swirling around him constantly until finally he broke under the confrontation of the prophetic word. In due time David was restored but only after facing his sin not just in his actions but in his heart. David now knows both the oppression of a heart under discipline of God, and the joy of being restored to a right standing. There is freedom in facing your sin in the presence of God and with that freedom comes fullness of joy.
Forgiven, covered and pure in heart, these are the makings of a joyful life. I John makes it very clear that all men have sinned. Every person is living under the consequences of the sin nature at work in our inner most being. The good news of Psalm 32 is that there is relief from the impact of sin upon our emotions. Have you ever felt the internal pressure that comes from knowing that your conscience is not clean? Have you ever struggled with the double mindedness that comes when you are not being fully honest with yourself or others? David understands this reality. He has felt the peace of a pure heart and the pain of a heart that is standing on questionable ground and he is testifying to the joy of being forgiven. ”Blessed (happy) is the man whose transgression has been forgiven him.”
When we have confessed our sins to the Lord and experienced the comfort that comes from a clean conscience then something is released inside of us.
The nature of conviction is like a stream with a dam in it or a body with too much caffeine. The inner man was designed to function from a place of internal peace that enjoyed unhindered intimacy with God. When the conscience became violated through the sin nature entering the human race man is now subject to guilt. Immediately upon sinning Adam and Eve were driven from their confident relationship with God into a place of shame and hiding. They could no longer stand before God without feeling the internal pressure of their own actions like a fire shut up inside. God had not spoken a word to them and yet their own conviction drove them to make fig leave coverings and to hide from God’s presence. David has felt the sting of sin’s impact upon his heart and he is calling to those who will listen, pointing the way back to peace. “Let your sins be forgiven. Get right with God, face what you have done!” It is a call to return to the shelter of the love of God. Peter echoes the power of love in 1 Peter 4:8-9 when he writes “love covers over a multitude of sins.” There is a love from God so deep that He provided his own Son as a sacrifice so that the impact of our sins could be lifted off of our hearts. We were never created to carry that weight and when sin is present, pressing against the human heart it bends us like a tired laborer carrying more bricks than his back can bear.
When our hearts are not burdened with the power of conviction our steps are lightened and our emotions renewed. David understands this like so few people. Not only has David understood the internal weight of a wounded conscience, he knows the power of self-deception. David has lived under the impact of his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah. For many months he knew the pressure of trying to cover up the evidence of his sin. He lived for many months under the Lord’s conviction, all the while scheming to cover his sins. He created a series of deceptions to try to outrun the consequences of his adultery and murder and yet God still exposed him in due time. For a season David lived with a spirit that was not facing his actions, denial, deception and abuse of power were swirling around him constantly until finally he broke under the confrontation of the prophetic word. In due time David was restored but only after facing his sin not just in his actions but in his heart. David now knows both the oppression of a heart under discipline of God, and the joy of being restored to a right standing. There is freedom in facing your sin in the presence of God and with that freedom comes fullness of joy.
Sunday
Psalm 31:14-17 - March 29, 2009
Ps 31:14-17 "But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you;" NIV
Trust enables a heart to surrender! This passage brings us face to face with the power of yielding to God. David has accepted the Lord as his God. This statement, to yield to the Lord as Our God, not just a God, makes all that follows not just principles but personal, My God, My trust, My times. When we place our trust in the Lord we can enter into rest even in the midst of the most pressing circumstances. “My times are in your hands…” Have you made Christ Lord over your times!? For most people one of the most common responses we have to every circumstance is the desire to control all that concerns us. We want to know that we can change our circumstances when and how we please. The problem with that is that if we are in control, then God is not! Our loving heavenly father is faithful to lead us in paths that demand a surrender of that control. He is faithful to lead us to a place of yielding and admission of need.
David lived frequently under intense pressure; oppressed by a mad king, pressured by disgruntled followers, attacked by foreign enemies, and betrayed by close friends and even family. If anyone had an excuse for seeking to try to control his situation it was David and yet time and again he resisted the temptation to take matters into his own hands. He resisted the pressure to take the path of convenience and shortcuts, choosing rather to demonstrate a commitment to the principles of the Word and a heart of surrender to the will and timing of the Father! Instead of grasping at things impatiently and fearfully this righteous man denied his own ambitions and rejected inappropriate comforts and flung himself wholeheartedly into the hands of the Lord. When offered the chance to kill King Saul and acquire the kingdom of Israel prematurely he chose to honor the Word of the Lord. When presented with opportunities for revenge he chose to let the Father vindicate him. When he was betrayed by his own son and the kingdom was temporarily stolen from him he walked away declaring that if it was God’s will for him to be restored to his place that God would be faithful to perform it. David chose the path of prayer instead of the path of striving.
What an awesome example this psalm and the circumstances that it references has become for us as we seek to follow the way of the Lord. David doesn’t strive, David prays. David doesn’t manipulate, he surrenders. David doesn’t worry he remembers the character and goodness of the Lord and is strengthened in his prayers even more. “My times are in your hands.” Every believer must learn this lesson of surrender. There is however a significant difference between surrender to the Lord and acceptance of defeat. The powerful message in this passage is that David is not yielding to the circumstances; he is yielding to the Lord in the midst of his circumstances. Even as he is surrendering the times and seasons of his life, the blessings and the trials, into the hands of the Lord, we see David also pressing into prayer as he cries out for the Lord’s deliverance. Oh, that the body of Christ could learn this lesson. Surrender to God and look to his hand. Do not fear but press into his mercy until you have the victory in His time!
Trust enables a heart to surrender! This passage brings us face to face with the power of yielding to God. David has accepted the Lord as his God. This statement, to yield to the Lord as Our God, not just a God, makes all that follows not just principles but personal, My God, My trust, My times. When we place our trust in the Lord we can enter into rest even in the midst of the most pressing circumstances. “My times are in your hands…” Have you made Christ Lord over your times!? For most people one of the most common responses we have to every circumstance is the desire to control all that concerns us. We want to know that we can change our circumstances when and how we please. The problem with that is that if we are in control, then God is not! Our loving heavenly father is faithful to lead us in paths that demand a surrender of that control. He is faithful to lead us to a place of yielding and admission of need.
David lived frequently under intense pressure; oppressed by a mad king, pressured by disgruntled followers, attacked by foreign enemies, and betrayed by close friends and even family. If anyone had an excuse for seeking to try to control his situation it was David and yet time and again he resisted the temptation to take matters into his own hands. He resisted the pressure to take the path of convenience and shortcuts, choosing rather to demonstrate a commitment to the principles of the Word and a heart of surrender to the will and timing of the Father! Instead of grasping at things impatiently and fearfully this righteous man denied his own ambitions and rejected inappropriate comforts and flung himself wholeheartedly into the hands of the Lord. When offered the chance to kill King Saul and acquire the kingdom of Israel prematurely he chose to honor the Word of the Lord. When presented with opportunities for revenge he chose to let the Father vindicate him. When he was betrayed by his own son and the kingdom was temporarily stolen from him he walked away declaring that if it was God’s will for him to be restored to his place that God would be faithful to perform it. David chose the path of prayer instead of the path of striving.
What an awesome example this psalm and the circumstances that it references has become for us as we seek to follow the way of the Lord. David doesn’t strive, David prays. David doesn’t manipulate, he surrenders. David doesn’t worry he remembers the character and goodness of the Lord and is strengthened in his prayers even more. “My times are in your hands.” Every believer must learn this lesson of surrender. There is however a significant difference between surrender to the Lord and acceptance of defeat. The powerful message in this passage is that David is not yielding to the circumstances; he is yielding to the Lord in the midst of his circumstances. Even as he is surrendering the times and seasons of his life, the blessings and the trials, into the hands of the Lord, we see David also pressing into prayer as he cries out for the Lord’s deliverance. Oh, that the body of Christ could learn this lesson. Surrender to God and look to his hand. Do not fear but press into his mercy until you have the victory in His time!
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